Aircraft flight data monitoring and reporting system and use thereof

Abstract

An aircraft flight data monitoring and reporting system is provided. The system comprises: an onboard flight data recording and reporting unit; a remote flight data monitoring storage and analysis unit; a wireless communication link; and a network, the wireless communication link and network for communications between the aircraft flight data monitoring and reporting system and the flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An aircraft flight data monitoring and analysis system, the system comprising: an onboard flight data recording and reporting unit, which includes a central processor and a memory, the memory configured to send instructions to the central processor to analyze a data set and then process the data set by one or more of parsing, filtering, selecting a subset of the data set and manipulating the data set prior to sending the data set or the subset of the data set, wherein the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit is configured to provide flight data monitoring; at least one signal interfacing device, which may be integrated in the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit or may be separate to and in communication with the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit; a remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit; a Satcom (satellite communication) link for transfer of data from the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit and the remote data monitoring, storage and analysis unit; Wi-Fi a network and an internet network, wherein the Wi-Fi and the internet network are for transfer of data to and from the onboard data recording and reporting unit and the remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit; and a base station, which is a software application, the software application configured to copy and cache data from the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit and relay the cached data to the remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit. 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit is further configured to provide onboard, secondary, not-required-for-flight data. 
     
     
       3. An onboard flight data recording and reporting unit for use in an aircraft flight data monitoring and analysis system, the unit comprising a central processor and a memory, the central processor comprising a communication protocol and handling methods that operate between it and a communications module to facilitate bi-directional communication between the flight data recording and reporting unit and an aircraft flight data monitoring, storage and reporting system and the memory configured to send instructions to the central processor to analyze a data set and then process the data set by one or more of parsing, filtering, selecting a subset of the data set and manipulating the data set prior to sending the data set or the subset of the data set. 
     
     
       4. The onboard flight data recording and reporting unit of  claim 3 , the unit configured to provide flight data monitoring. 
     
     
       5. The onboard flight data recording and reporting unit of  claim 4  further comprising a battery backup, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, a solid-state compass, pitot pressure sensor, static pressure sensor, differential pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inertial measurement unit, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) feed or an internal GPS, and an internal real-time clock. 
     
     
       6. The onboard flight data recording and reporting unit of  claim 5 , further comprising Finite State Machine heuristics monitoring and a real time reporting system. 
     
     
       7. The onboard flight data recording and reporting unit of  claim 6 , further configured to provide onboard, secondary, not-required-for-flight data. 
     
     
       8. A method of recording and reporting aircraft data, the method comprising:
 selecting an onboard flight data recording and reporting unit, which includes a central processor and a memory, the memory configured to send instructions to the processor; 
 selecting a plurality of signal interfacing device, each in communication with the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit and each in communication with a single sensor; 
 the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit receiving raw data from each signal interfacing device; 
 the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit recording the raw data; 
 the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit analyzing the raw data and processing the raw data by one or more of parsing, filtering, selecting a subset of the raw data and manipulating the raw data to provide analyzed and processed data; and 
 the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit reporting the raw data and the processed data to a remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the reporting is autonomous. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit determining an appropriate time for reporting the processed data. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit receiving instructions from the remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit reprocessing the raw data or the processed data in response to the instructions from the remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the raw data are flight data. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the raw data are aerial fire attack data. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the raw data are onboard, secondary, not-required-for-flight data. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit communicating with an observation station. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the observation station providing post mission flight visualization. 
     
     
       18. An aircraft flight data monitoring and analysis system, the system comprising: at least one onboard aircraft sensor; an onboard flight data recording and reporting unit, which includes a central processor and a memory, the memory configured to send instructions to the central processor to analyze a data set and then process the data set by one or more of parsing, filtering, selecting a subset of the data set and manipulating the data set prior to sending the data set or the subset of the data set, wherein the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit is configured to provide flight data monitoring; at least one signal interfacing device in communication with the onboard aircraft sensor and the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit, and which may be integrated in the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit or may be separate to the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit; a remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit; a Satcom (satellite communication) link for transfer of data from the onboard flight data recording and reporting unit and the remote data monitoring, storage and analysis unit; and Wi-Fi a network and an internet network, wherein the Wi-Fi and the internet network are for transfer of data to and from the onboard data recording and reporting unit and the remote flight data monitoring, storage and analysis unit.